Ascending to the Clouds Alone

Lin Su turned his head to look at Ye Qingqing and asked:

"What time is it now?"

"It's just past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), are you hungry?"

"..."

Aren't you hungry?

Ye Qingqing was puzzled. This person had only drunk a bowl of porridge before he fainted, so why wasn't he hungry?

"That's not what I meant. I wanted to go and see that boy, to see how he is doing now."

"Then after lunch, I'll go with you to find that boy."

I want to see what kind of person is worth your concern!

After Ye Qingqing left, Lin Su suppressed all his doubts, fears, and speculations deep in his heart.

Others will find it hard to believe; only those with solid self-cultivation have the opportunity to uncover the truth.

Once he had made up his mind, he immediately sat cross-legged and tried to "guide the qi into his body".

The spiritual energy here is very rich. With such a profound foundation, the old doctor is indeed extraordinary!

Lin Su calmed his mind and focused his attention on his dantian. In no time, he felt a sensation.

A wisp of spiritual energy seeped in from the Baihui acupoint, like a trickle of water seeping from a crack in a mountain rock, and the cool touch made him feel very comfortable.

He gently attached his thoughts to it, guiding the wisp of spiritual energy downwards.

There was a slight obstruction when passing the Chonglou Tower, and Lin Su visualized it gradually rushing over the obstruction.

After a few breaths, it became much smoother.

When the spiritual energy reaches the center of the chest, it's as if a window has been opened, suddenly opening up the chest.

After passing through the Zhongwan acupoint, the coolness gradually turned into warmth, and finally settled steadily into the Dantian.

The process of drawing in Qi went smoothly. The binding force of the spirit-locking talisman was still faintly present, but it could no longer prevent the acquired spiritual energy from returning to the dantian.

The primordial energy that had been introduced into the dantian slowly rose up, enveloping this wisp of spiritual energy and rotating and merging together.

With each rotation, the acquired spiritual energy becomes purer and warmer.

"Using innate qualities to influence acquired qualities"—that's the feeling.

As soon as the wisp of spiritual energy was guided to his dantian, he immediately separated a wisp and channeled it into his mingmen acupoint.

The "seed" of innate Qi at the Gate of Life is like rain after a long drought, absorbing this nourishment and growing stronger.

This is the principle of "nurturing one's innate nature with acquired nature".

The waiting gate was as warm as the spring sun, and Lin Su then guided the nourished innate Qi into his dantian.

This created a virtuous cycle.

The Tongtian Baolu states:

"If practiced consistently over a long period, it can strengthen the foundation and cultivate vitality, making the process of building a solid base twice as effective with half the effort."

Lin Su repeated this process nine times, and the warmth in his dantian became increasingly clear.

He only stopped practicing when Ye Qingqing came to call him.

After changing into clean robes and having lunch, Ye Qingqing bid farewell to the old man and led Lin Su out the door, heading straight for the garrison camp.

Incense, candles, and paper money were displayed in front of many shops along the street, and white paper lanterns were hung under the eaves of a few households.

Ye Qingqing said as she walked:

"Today is the Ghost Festival, I need to go home early."

Lin Su was taken aback. Zhongyuan?

After leaving the rocky forest, he never looked at the almanac again and had long forgotten the date.

"Yes, it's the Ghost Festival..."

He repeated it in a low voice, a sudden pang of sadness rising in his heart. In previous years, the Lin family would hold ancestral worship ceremonies at this time.

Lin Su lowered his eyes, suppressing the surging thoughts, and silently followed Ye Qingqing forward.

Before long, the two arrived at the garrison camp of Changqu Town.

Looking at the heavily guarded scene before him, Lin Su asked in confusion:

"Do you think we can just come and go as we please at the garrison's camp?"

Ye Qingqing now held a token in her hand and replied:

"My grandfather often came to the camp to treat the soldiers on duty with difficult injuries and illnesses. The camp gave him a special pass."

Lin Su was secretly surprised, but he didn't ask any more questions.

After the guards verified the tokens, they were allowed to pass. The two entered the camp and soon found the boy's location.

This garrison camp was no different from other border camps, and all around were sounds of mourning.

Upon seeing the young man, Lin Su felt a surge of warmth in his heart and spoke first:

"Is your injury any better?"

The boy's body trembled, and a light gleamed in his eyes:

"You, you've come!"

Looking at the young man before him, Lin Su was somewhat moved:

"We've known each other for a while, but I haven't even asked your name yet."

"Lu Shaohui. Lu, the tiger-headed Lu."

Lu Shaohui seemed worried that after this brief encounter, he would be forgotten as soon as he turned around, after all, most people in this world are as light as duckweed.

Lin Su nodded slightly and said:

"My surname is Lin, and my given name is Su. I am from Junling in the Qinglan Domain."

Seeing this, Ye Qingqing frowned and said:

"So this is the first time you two have met."

After exchanging glances, Lin Su and Lu Shaohui both turned their heads away, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"Brother Lin, do you have anything else urgent to attend to today?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Shaohui suddenly asked this question. Lin Su looked at him and said:

"I have nothing else to say, what is it you're asking about...?"

"If it weren't for Brother Lin's intervention on the city wall that day, I would have been dead long ago."

Lu Shaohui's expression was earnest, yet somewhat hesitant:

"I... I'd like to treat Brother Lin to a drink as a small token of my gratitude."

"You two are covered in injuries, and you still dare to think about drinking?" Ye Qingqing suddenly interrupted.

Lin Su thought for a moment, then said softly:

"Just drink less during the meal."

"I'll go ask for leave right away!"

When Lu Shaohui saw Lin Su agree, his eyes lit up immediately, as if the pain in his body had lessened.

Ye Qingqing stamped her foot helplessly, but in the end, she gave in to their wishes.

After Lu Shaohui completed the formalities for his temporary departure, the three of them headed towards the heart of Changqu Town.

After walking for nearly half an hour, I saw a restaurant on the street bustling with people coming and going.

"Juxianlou".

What a great name! Lin Su couldn't help but exclaim.

When the waiter saw Lin Su and his two companions stop in front of the door, he quickly came out to greet them:

"Gentlemen, please come in."

After the three were seated, the waiter bowed and said:

"Our Juxianlou is the largest restaurant in Changqu Town. We can supply everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the water..."

"No need for rambling, anything simple that will fill my stomach will do," Ye Qingqing said impatiently.

"I see that the three gentlemen are handsome and refined, and are certainly not ordinary people. I imagine that ordinary food would not be to your liking."

Lin Su, unwilling to waste words, directly gave the order:

"Alright, just prepare some simple snacks to go with the drinks, and two jugs of sake."

The waiter understood immediately and turned to leave.

In no time, several exquisite dishes were placed on the table.

Lu Shaohui awkwardly picked up his wine glass, his expression a mix of awkwardness and sincerity:

"Thank you, Brother Lin, and also this... young master."

"Who are you calling 'Young Master'?!" Ye Qingqing immediately raised her voice, her face showing displeasure.

"Qingqing, Shaohui and I went through dangerous situations together and have a bond from the battlefield," Lin Su said, raising his glass to smooth things over.

Lu Shaohui was stunned for a moment, at a loss for what to do.

Lin Su looked at Ye Qingqing, and remembering how he had been living under someone else's roof and had received so much care from the grandfather and granddaughter for no reason, he became serious and said:

"You know my situation. I am grateful for the old doctor's understanding and compassion. I thank you very much."

After saying that, Lin Su drank it all in one gulp.

Ye Qingqing didn't understand why he was suddenly so serious, so she took a sip and said:

"Drink less."

The room fell silent for a moment. Lu Shaohui, not being good with words, simply lowered his head and drank with his wine glass.